Tweety was saved, but it almost wasn't to be, as a washing
basket tripped up Cyclops, the $120,000 rescue and bomb disposal
robot.

For two days the bird had been holed up alone and on the
precipice of oblivion after its owners were awoken at 2am and
evacuated from their flat when a gaping chasm opened up in the
ground under their apartment block - the result of a subsidence in
a section of the Lane Cove Tunnel under construction.

For Karen Bruce, 31, and her fiance Robert Colquhoun, 32, the
roller-coaster ride of the previous days was forgotten when police
rescue officers emerged with the cage containing the cockatiel.

Looking bedraggled minus a few feathers, Tweety seemed otherwise
in good spirits.

Asked how she felt, Ms Bruce said she was elated: "Anyone who
has a pet knows, it doesn't matter how small they are, they're just
part of the family."

Ms Bruce expressed gratitude to the police rescue officers who
retrieved her bird by hooking its cage with a telescopic pole.

After a quick meet and greet with the Assistant Commissioner,
Mark Goodwin, Tweety was whisked off for a check-up at the local
vet. For dinner, Ms Bruce said Tweety would feast on an egg and
biscuit mix.

Mr Goodwin said Tweety's owners would not have to pay for the
service. But the news was not all good for Ms Bruce and Mr
Colquhoun, who are set to marry in March. They are still without
their belongings and do not know whether they will be able to
return to their apartment.

That goes for the rest the displaced residents of the Lane Cove
block, which last night was still perilously close to collapse.

Some were briefly allowed to return to their flats and retrieve
valuables, but those in the nine units closest to the hole were
not. Of these, police rescue officers entered six apartments and
collected items. But it was too dangerous for anyone to enter the
three units immediately above the hole, other than the foray to
save Tweety.

Sally McCabe and her flatmate Dominic Kelly were permitted to
return to their apartment for an hour. Ms McCabe, a teacher,
collected her fiance's wedding ring along with her jewellery,
clothes and shoes, describing the experience as "nervy".

"But we're very lucky," she said. "We've got everything in ours
and ours looks like it probably will still be standing - more than
what we can say for the two girls at the front."

Neil Smith was not allowed into the apartment he shares with his
wife Evinir but managed to get the dress and shoes she will wear to
a wedding today, at which he will be best man. "We weren't allowed
back in, so the police rescue guys went in, grabbed some stuff and
that was it," he said. His own clobber was at a friend's house.

He was philosophical about the situation: "What can you do?"

The tunnel's builders, Thiess John Holland, appointed a rock
mechanics expert, Professor Ted Brown, to conduct an inquiry into
the cause of Wednesday's partial road collapse. His findings would
be made public, said project spokesman Justin Grogan.

Despite much of the affected block being reinforced, a decision
is not expected until next week on when the building might be
cleared for residents to return, or if some of it might have to
demolished. It is not known how long until the off-ramp leading to
the Pacific Highway, where the clogged hole is, might be safe to be
reopened to traffic.

The construction company has pledged to pay indefinitely for
accommodation and other provisions for the affected residents. It
has also said it will compensate tenants and home owners for any
financial losses due to the incident.